Allocation system and method of deploying resources

ABSTRACT

A system and method for allocating drivers to procure targets, such as automobiles. These targets are then transported to a desired drop-off destination. The entire system is automated, such that a requestor may hire drivers that are certified by the system and would satisfy requirements associated with the target, such as proper driver&#39;s license and location of the driver relative to the target. The system is powered by an internet based mobile application that is designed to match individual drivers to auto dealers, auction houses, driving transport companies and other businesses and individuals (“requestors”) seeking to move automobiles, goods, services, tasks, etc. from one location to another. The system has been designed to find, organize, and manage drivers and all aspects of the trip on a real time basis and reduce the cost of the existing system.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of and claims the benefit ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/987,495, filed Jul. 31, 2013, whichis incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is related generally to a driver allocation systemand method, and more specifically to a system including mobile computingdevices with application software capable of assigning and managingresources such as drivers, and the process to retrieve and drop offtargets from locations throughout the world and drop those targets offat desired locations.

2. Background and Description of the Related Art

Automobile businesses need to transport vehicles from one point toanother on a regular basis. Examples include transporting individualvehicles to and from locations such as auction houses, dealer lots,inspection stations, etc. Presently, the requestors use methods such asmaking phone calls, or using the services of third parties to find,organize and manage drivers. Existing processes of transporting vehiclesvia these methods are slow, inefficient, difficult to manage, andcostly. They are prone to problems caused by events including, but notlimited to, loss of paperwork such as gate passes, vehicle conditionreports, and payment receipts by drivers, etc. Timely availability ofdrivers, tracking of vehicles in parking lots and in-transit on realtime basis, establishing instant communication with and monitoring andcontrol of drivers by the requestors are not possible because thecommunication is carried by phone. The confusion makes the processdifficult to manage. Multiple vehicles transported from same origin tosame destination with each vehicle being driven by each driver make itnecessary for the requestor to repeat the same instructions to eachdriver. Repetition of the same instruction multiple times unnecessarilyties up valuable management times of the requestors making the processslow and inefficient. Real time vehicle sequencing during the auctionsales, locating the vehicles in the large auction lots where thousandsof vehicles are stationed, managing and monitoring of each auto salesprocess during auction, and inserting and managing the sales of out ofsequence vehicles brought by customers are now carried through verbal,phone communications and CB radios, and many confusions and costlymistakes occur.

Overall, the existing process is costly for the requestors and thedrivers alike because (1) the requestors spend a lot of time in managingthe system such as but not limited to giving directions to each driverseparately, VIN and Gate Pass information, and special instructions,making phone calls back and forth, (2) of thefts by unscrupulous driversand others e.g. stolen headrest, missing books, keys, drive shift knobs,(3) drivers do not drive on clock but bill for more hours, (4) thirdparty companies are paid for their services as a middle man, (5)accurate delivery time cannot be determined, (6) drivers are not paidfor any lost receipt and (7) of inability to enforce driveraccountability during vehicle transporting. Also, reporting by thedrivers to reconcile the vehicle condition (e.g. as to dents andscratches) at the auction house exit gate with the condition at theauction bid acceptance time is not easily executed in the existingprocess. Condition status reports are now communicated verbally by thedrivers to the requestors. This verbal system has many deficiencies suchas the requestor being usually very busy and multitasking may totallyforget to record the problem, or may assign the problem to the wrongvehicle or wrong location in the vehicle. For example, vehicle A inactuality may pull to the right while driving; instead the requestor mayassign the problem to vehicle B as being pulled to the left. Therefore,finding and repairing the problem become costly.

An additional problem of vehicle transporting using the present standardis caused by the way insurance is handled. Presently, insuranceproviders that underwrite insurance policies to the drivers and dealersdo not have adequate means to gather appropriate and desirable data thatserve the interests of the providers. The underwriters rely on the datathat the dealers or insurance agents provide them, do not have any meansto verify the accuracy and authenticity of the data and accept the datamainly based on faith. During the application process for purchasinginsurance, the purchasers such as dealers, auctioneers, and drivers areasked by the insurance companies to answer the type of questions some ofwhich are listed below: a) How many cars do you estimate that youtransport with drivers or Drive-Away? b) Are the driver(s) employee(s)or independent contractor(s)? c) If employee(s), please list driverlicense number (DL No.), social security no (SSN), date of birth (DOB)etc. d) How far are the trips typically? Please give radius. e) How manyof these trips are made within the estimated radius? f) What is themaximum distance of the drive? g) What is the highest value of vehicleyou expect to drive?

Many drivers are independent individuals who do not have driveremployees. Although, these individuals have personal auto insurance,they do not have “commercial” insurance that covers the cars they drivefor others when “working,” and Workman Compensation, collision liabilityand physical damage. Dealers take the risk with independent driversessentially carrying most if not all of the risks by buying insurancepolicies usually with high deductibles to save on cost of high premiums.Major losses result in high future premiums or cancellation. Of course,the dealers have the choice to hire drivers as their employees whichresults in higher costs including FICA, taxes, insurance etc.

There are also driver's unions which add additional expense to dealersand other requesting parties. These costs are unavoidable if a dealergoes through a union or union-affiliated service for acquiring drivers,which presently may be necessary in some locations or for some jobs, dueto a lack of alternative services.

Presently, insurance policies to cover transporting of vehicles bydrivers are underwritten based on bulk volume of vehicles orpiggy-backing on other policies, and the policies are based on periodicrates such as daily, monthly, quarterly, yearly etc. Premiums for thesetypes of policies are quite high.

Each transporting trip is generally different from others as to suchvariables as the transporting distance, property value, ownership of theasset, insurance, and legal and other requirements. Customization ofeach trip is presently accomplished by time consuming and costly manualmethods. Examples of trip customization include items such as handlingof assigned license plate and expenses. Involved parties frequentlyforget to gather necessary documents including license plates. Suchlapses at the least cause costly delays and additional travels.Customizable trip-by-trip features, such as handing of license platesand expenses, are not adequately addressed by the present method ofassigning drivers to retrieve targets such as automobiles to be sold atauction or at remotely located dealerships.

What is desired is to develop a system that will be more efficient,easier to customize, faster, easier to manage, and less costly. Adesired insurance system would also include situations where if a car,X, is transported by a driver, Y, from point, A, to point, B, theinsurance policy for this trip consists of the trip from point, A, topoint, B, by the driver, Y, and for the time period needed to completethe trip. Once the trip is completed the policy is terminated. The stakeholders in this new paradigm of insurance are the dealer (car owner),the driver and the insurance underwriter. The cost of insurance premiumin this case could be shared partially by the dealer and the driverthrough mutually agreeable terms. A desired system would also include atrip-specific electronic transmission of a digital license plate to thedriver of the vehicle.

Heretofore there has not been available a drive-away driver allocationsystem and method of assigning drivers for target pick-ups with theadvantages and features of the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and system are provided to find, contract, organize, and managedrivers and the process of transporting vehicles by the requestor usinginternet based wired and wireless communication and management system.The system allows for the purchase of by-the-trip insurance on-the-fly,trip-specific digital license plate transmitted to a target party byactivation code, accurate record keeping of vehicle conditions,recordation and control of costs, efficient use of drivers by using realtime GNSS (e.g. GPS) via mobile and fixed devices such as cell phones,tablet and desktop computers, etc.

An internet based application that will allow on a real time basis atleast: (1) webcasting the need for services of driver(s) by a requestorwhereby the need will be transmitted to the intended drivers or pool ofdrivers (2) responding to the requestor by the drivers with their termsand availability (3) accepting the terms of the drivers by the requestor(4) purchasing by-the-trip insurance on-the-fly (5) wirelesslytransmitting a trip-specific digital license plate to the driver of thetrip (6) executing the transportation of a vehicle or a fleet ofvehicles in an optimal manner (7) recording and reporting the vehiclestatus before the vehicle leaves the auction gate (8) reporting andmonitoring of the trip status report at any time (9) recording andreporting of expenses and drivers bills and (10) monitoring andcontrolling of the vehicle transportation process on a real time basis.It must be repeated here that each of the functions listed above can beaccomplished on a real time basis.

An embodiment of the present invention may be used to coordinate driversfor an innumerable amount of purposes. Some examples include chaufferjobs or a simple errand trip request. Drivers are allocated byrequestors to pick up and drop off targets, which may include anythingthe requestor might need. A preferred embodiment would be where therequestor is an automobile dealer and the target is a car desired forsale; however, as above, any conceivable target could be assigned to adriver for pick-up and delivery, including a passenger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate variousobjects and features thereof.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of the relationships betweenvarious elements included in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic representation of the relationships betweenvarious alternative elements included in an alternative embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation showing in more detail thetransfer of information amongst various elements of an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3A is a first portion of a flow chart diagramming the step-by-steppractice of a method embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3B is a second portion thereof.

FIG. 3C is a third portion thereof.

FIG. 4A is first portion of a flow chart diagramming the practice of aportion of a preferred embodiment of the present invention—namely,driver certification through use of the present invention.

FIG. 4B is a second portion thereof.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart diagramming the practice of a portion of apreferred embodiment of the present invention—namely, registering acompany through use of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart diagramming the practice of a portion of apreferred embodiment of the present invention—namely, applying for,requesting, and obtaining single trip car insurance.

FIG. 6A is a diagrammatic representation of the relationships betweenvarious elements thereof.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a digital license tag plate which maybe incorporated into the practice of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7A is an elevational view of an alternative digital license tagplate which may be incorporated into the practice of an alternativeembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8A is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a driver'suser interface for accessing the various features associated with thepresent invention.

FIG. 8B is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing scheduledtrips associated with a driver's itinerary.

FIG. 8C is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing trip statusdetails.

FIG. 8D is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing trip requestsettings entered by a requestor.

FIG. 8E is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing arequestor's user interface for accessing the various features associatedwith the present invention.

FIG. 8F is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a driversearch function performed by a requestor.

FIG. 8G is a screenshot of a user interface associated with the practiceof a preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing a driver'sregistration options.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT I. Introduction andEnvironment

As required, detailed aspects of the disclosed subject matter aredisclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosedaspects are merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied invarious forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as abasis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching oneskilled in the art how to variously employ the present invention invirtually any appropriately detailed structure.

Certain terminology will be used in the following description forconvenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, up,down, front, back, right and left refer to the invention as orientatedin the view being referred to. The words, “inwardly” and “outwardly”refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometriccenter of the aspect being described and designated parts thereof.Additional examples include a mobile smart device including a displaydevice for viewing a typical web browser or user interface will becommonly referred to throughout the following description. The type ofdevice, computer, display, or user interface may vary when practicing anembodiment of the present invention. Drivers and couriers are theresources to be allocated using the present invention, and may often beused interchangeably, as may dealers and requestors. Said terminologywill include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof andwords of similar meaning.

The overarching purpose of the present invention is to create a triprequest from a requesting party 4 to a driver 6 or other resource,wherein the purpose of the trip is to collect a target and return, ordeliver to a remote location, that target. The trip request isautomatically generated using a third-party service stored at a remoteserver 12. Some features may be individually selectable by therequesting party 4, or may be automatically generated, based on a numberof parameters, by the remote server 12 CPU.

II. Embodiment or Aspect of the Driver Allocation System 2

Referring to the figures in more detail, FIG. 1 shows the relationshipsbetween various elements of a driver allocation system 2. At the core ofthe system is a driver allocation service 5 which generally requires acentral server 12 complete with CPU and data storage, a central database14 stored within said central server, and software necessary to overseethe entire system, including sending instructions and receiving requestsfrom the various other elements, including at least one requestor 4, onedriver 6, data regarding a target 8. All of this information is sharedover a wireless network 10, and via the internet.

The requestor 4 may be an automobile dealer or auction service that islooking for target 8 items, typically vehicles. The requestor has acomputer 38 capable of accessing the central server 12 and all softwareassociated with the driver allocation system 2. The requestor 4 willinput or import his preferences 40 into the requestor computer 38, whichwill help to facilitate the selecting of drivers 6 for the acquisitionof targets 8. Optionally, a requestor may have code(s) 42 for drive-awayplates 28 which provide temporary displays of plate information, such aslicense plate number, expiration time or date, and the state in whichthe plate would be registered. This code may be transferred wirelesslyover the wireless network 10 to a driver 6 who has functioning digitalplates 28.

Similarly, the requestor may have trip insurance 44 which may beassociated with a particular trip. A driver 6 may also have his or herown insurance 29 which would be associated with that trip.Alternatively, these insurances could each function to cover a portionof any given trip. Insurance data is transferred back and forth, and isstored in the central database, via the wireless network 10. Finally,the requestor's payment account 46 must be associated with the driverallocation system 2 such that drivers are paid automatically uponsuccessfully and satisfactorily completing a trip.

Similarly, each driver 6 is associated with a mobile computer 16 such asa smart phone or tablet computer. This computer includes data storagecapable of storing the mobile application software 18 which allows thedriver to interact with the central server 12, the requestor 4, and allother aspects of the driver allocation system 2. The driver'spreferences 20, including the driver's certifications, drivingexperience, general location, and other relevant details are also storedon the mobile device and are associated with the application software18.

The mobile computer 16 should also include a Global Navigation SatelliteSystem (GNSS) sensor 22 or other location device for determining thedriver's 6 real time position on Earth. This allows the system 2 toinstruct the driver from point A to point B, such as to reach a target's8 initial location 30, and then transport the target to a drop-offlocation 36.

The mobile computer 16 should also include a camera 24 or other devicefor scanning a vehicle's identification number (VIN), logging receiptsfor expenses, and for keeping record of the vehicle's condition such asby photographing dents, scrapes, and other defects. Photographs ofstarting and ending mileage would also be logged using the camera. Thescanning function also allows for files or data to be exploded and usedfor different file formats.

The mobile device must have an interactive graphical user interface(GUI) 26 for interacting with the mobile application software 18.

The driver may have digital license plates 28 which receive codes from arequestor 4 via the driver's mobile computer 16. This allows temporarylicensure of a vehicle during the transportation process only, afterwhich the temporary code expires and the digital tag may be reused. Moredetail on the digital tags can be found below and in FIGS. 7 and 7A.

And as mentioned above, the driver may have his or her own insurance 29associated with jobs accepted by the driver 6. This insurance may betypical insurance; however, preferably the insurance would betrip-by-trip specific and would be estimated and paid for on a per-tripbasis. More information on how trip-by-trip insurance would function canbe found below.

The target 8, typically a vehicle identified by the requestor 4 forpickup, has a starting location 30, a starting condition 32, associatedvehicle data 34 (e.g. a VIN), and a target ending location 36 andassociated ending condition 37. Vehicle condition includes basicinformation, such as the odometer reading of the vehicle, and also moreimportant information, such as the condition of the vehicle externallyand internally. If the ending condition 37 differs from the startingcondition 32 in more than minor ways, there may need to be an insurancereport made or payment may be withheld from the driver until the vehicleis repaired.

It should be noted that more than one target 8 may be designated to thedriver(s) at a time. A processor belonging to either the central server12 or the requestor's 4 computer 38 will calculate an optimal routeand/or an optimal amount of additional drivers 6 needed to complete thetask of acquiring all targets 8 and moving those targets 8 to theirrespective drop-off destinations 36. Expense and time are necessarycomponents to this calculation. The requestor 4 will be notified howmany drivers 6 and/or how many trips are going to be needed such thatthe requestor 4 can allocate the appropriate drivers 6 to theappropriate targets 8. Additionally, the system may further optimize thetrips by the seating capacity of a number of vehicles, including eachtarget 8 if the target is a vehicle. These factors are all computed toproduce the optimal result for acquiring the target(s) 8.

Each driver 6 may also be assigned by the central server 12 processingthe location(s) of each driver and the distance between driver(s) 6 andtarget(s) 8. Each driver verifies the target by scanning the ID data 34(e.g. VIN) when the driver 6 reaches the target 8 start location 30. Inthe case where a VIN 34 is scanned, it may have optionally been scannedby the initiating/selling party previously. The second scan by thedriver 6 verifies that this is the target 8 to be moved and authorizesthe transaction.

In the case of multiple vehicles, multiple targets, and/or multipledrivers, the requestor has the ability to track each and every target,driver, and vehicle at once using the same computer 38. A “trackingview” allows the requestor 4 to review status updates and geographicpositioning information on each driver 6 and target 8 as they arereported via the driver allocation service 5. A map may be pulled up onthe display of the requestor's computing device 38 which actively tracksthe geographic GNSS position of each driver 6 actively being trackedand/or employed by the requestor 4 for a trip request. The requestor 4may select the indicator on the display for one driver 6, and thedisplay will update showing the details of that particular driver,including details about the vehicle and/or target associated with theriver, the estimated time of arrival for the driver, the status of thetarget, and other relevant details.

At the end of a trip, a report may be generated by the central serverCPU 12 and delivered to a requesting party. For example, if a requestor4 requests a report, the report sent to him may include an analysis ofthe trip including total expenses of all drivers, other payments,vehicle statistics, such as miles-per-gallon and average speed, andother valuable data. Similar data may be requested by a driver 6 andused to file tax documents such as a standard 1099 form.

When drivers 6 register with the driver allocation service 5 using theirmobile computing devices 16, they may have the option of purchasing orrenting the digital plates 28 which will be sent to the driver 6 at theaddress provided by the driver 6 via the driver's profile. Additionally,a pre-paid or pre-loaded debit card may be sent to the driver. Thisdebit card may be reloaded by the driver 6 for purchasing supplies orother services, and it may be recharged when the driver 6 is paid by arequestor 4 from the requestor's payment account 46.

FIG. 1A demonstrates a similar setup wherein a third party drivercompany 7, who employs or has readily available a number of drivers 6.1,6.2, 6.n, for performing the same tasks as discussed above. However, thecompany 7 requires additional relationships to be formed via thewireless network 10, and has its own set of information and requirementsfor association with an alternative driver allocation system 3.Functionally the system operates the same as discussed above. However,the driver company 7 has its own computer 50 including data storage andCPU for accessing its own version of application software 52 allowingthe driver company 7 to interact with drivers 6 and requestors 4. Thedriver company's preferences 54, including credentials anddriver-related data, are stored on the company's computer 50 and wouldlikely also be contained in the central database 14.

In this scenario, the driving company may have its own set of digitalplates 56 for use by any number of drivers 6.1, 6.2, 6.n. Similarly, thedriving company 7 may have its own insurance 58, preferably atrip-by-trip insurance, which can be applied to any or all trips by thecompany's drivers.

A similar scenario to that shown in FIG. 1A includes a lead driver whois assigned with finding additional drivers 6 n for picking upadditional targets 8 or for following the lead driver in a follow-car.The lead driver may be invited to the job by the requestor 4, but theadditional positions may be picked by the lead driver 6 himself, if therequestor 4 has set up the system to allow for this type of hiring. Thisis ideal in a situation where the requestor 4 may have one suitabledriver 6 located in an area, but does not have information on additionaldrivers 6 n. The lead driver 6 is contacted by the requestor 4, and thenproceeds to invite additional drivers 6 n to use the mobile softwareapplication 18 and join the lead driver 6 on the job.

Similarly, a “trip manager” may be employed or otherwise retained by therequestor 4 to fill the roll, thereby removing steps from the requestor4 and adding them to the trip manager. For example, the trip requestor 4may set up a trip request and specify the target 8, but leave theassigning of drivers or drive teams to the trip manager.

FIG. 2 shows in slightly more detail how data elements are transferredbetween the requestor's computer 38, the central server 12 and database14, through the wireless network 10, and to a driver's 6 mobile computer16. The data exchange is intended to link the requestor 4 with the bestavailable drivers 6 that suit the requestor's 4 needs, while ensuringthat drivers 6 are presented with optimal arrangements for picking uptargets 8.

III. Method of Practicing a Preferred Embodiment of the PresentInvention

FIGS. 3A-3C demonstrate a step-by-step method of practicing the presentinvention. It should be noted that these steps are not exhaustive of allof the steps that may go into the practice of the present invention, butinstead represent one example of how the present invention may bepracticed.

The method starts at 100 as shown in FIG. 3A. The central database 14 isloaded with requestors who have registered at 102, and is further loadedwith certified drivers at 104. Third party companies who register foruse of the present invention would similarly be loaded into thedatabase.

A requester designates a target or targets to be picked up at 106. Thetarget's information is then added to the database at 108. The system 2locates the target at 110 and assigns geographical coordinates to thetarget which allows drivers, requestors, or other users to see where thetarget's present location is. The requestor may manually enter thetarget's location, or the information may be loaded by scanning avehicle's VIN with a mobile computing device having GNSS positioningtechnology or other location equipment integrated into it.

Next the requestor will input various job parameters associated with thejob at 112. This may include the type of target being picked up, thenumber of targets being picked up, the final drop-off location, therequired date and time at which the target needs to be dropped off,various driver qualifications, or any other necessary job parametersthat the requestor deems necessary to retrieve the target.

The requestor determines at 114 whether or not to select drivers ordriver companies from a preferred list, or whether to allow the system 2to generate a list of drivers based on job parameters and targetlocation. If the requester chooses to use a preferred list of drivers,the system will access a list of preferred drivers at 116 that therequestor has previously set up based on previous jobs or previous workexperience. Otherwise the system will generate a list based upon the jobparameters. Either way, a list of drivers is generated at 118.

The list of steps of FIG. 3A is further continued in FIG. 3B where atrip request is generated. The system database is updated at 120 withdrop-off locations related to the target or targets assigned for pickupby the requestor. If the requestor has trip insurance at 122, then thetrip insurance may be activated at 124 if the requester decides toutilize the trip insurance. Typically, this trip insurance wouldfunction during the specified trip only and then would be deactivated. Acost would be generated based upon the job parameters, the target, thedriver(s) involved, and other related details. More about thetrip-by-trip insurance generation is discussed below and at FIG. 6.

Similarly, if the requestor has a digital tag (e.g. license plate) code,the requestor can choose to activate that code at 126. The code isactivated at 128, and any driver who is ultimately used in the tripwould need to have a digital license plate capable of receiving thedigital license plate code. If multiple drivers are required, multipleplate codes may be needed.

Finally, all additional driver instructions are loaded into the systemat 130 and the driver or drivers selected from the list generated atstep 118 will be sent the driver instructions and other relevant detailsat 132. The driver or drivers are asked to accept the request at 134. Ifa driver rejects the request, the next driver in the list will beselected at 136. Alternatively, the system may be required to draw ondrivers outside of the generated list once that list is exhausted.

Once the necessary number of drivers has accepted the trip request, anyadditional data will be relayed to the driver(s) and notification thatthe driver is “on the job” is sent at 138. The driver may be guided tothe target's location at 140 using maps or step-by-step directionsdetermined by the driver's mobile computer 16. A check is performed at142 whether the driver has reached the target. Directions are providedat 140 until the target is reached at 142. The driver's status that thetarget has been reached is logged at 144, and the target's status isalso logged at 146. This step includes scanning a VIN for a vehicle,photographing the target for damage, odometer reading, or other relevantdetails, or otherwise inputting details about the target's conditioninto the driver's mobile computer. All of this information is saved inthe central database 14 and is uploaded to the requestor 4 and any thirdparty users who have access to view this information, such as theultimate purchaser of the target from the requestor.

The list of steps of FIG. 3B is further continued in FIG. 3C where thedriver is guided to the drop-off destination at 148 using the driver'smobile computer 16. The system constantly performs a check to determinewhether the destination has been reached at 150. If the destination hasnot been reached, the driver has the opportunity to log expenses at 152.Expenses are logged at 154, and may include hotel stays, food, fuel,vehicle repairs, insurance costs, or any other relevant details. Thesemay be input using a camera attached to the mobile device photographingreceipts, or the data may be entered manually.

Whether or not expenses are incurred, the driver will periodically berequested to input trip reports at 156. If the driver decides to add atrip report, the trip report update is added at 158. Trip reportsinclude changes to the status of the target, key destinations reached,updates in estimated time of arrival, or any other detail that is deemedrelevant. This information is transferred on to the requestor and mayalso be viewable by third party users.

This cycle is repeated until the destination is reached. If trip-by-tripinsurance was used, it is detected at 160 and is deactivated at 162,rendering the insurance finalized. Similarly, if a digital tag codebelonging to the requestor is detected at 164, that code is deactivatedat 166, rendering the tag useless until a new code is detected.

The status of the target is verified and logged at 168, ensuring thatthe quality and other relevant details of the target are satisfactory tothe requestor and/or to a third party buyer. If everything issatisfactory, payment is automatically wired through the system from therequestor to the driver at 170. Payment may be automatically withdrawnfrom the requestor's payment account 46 and into the driver's bankaccount. Expenses incurred during the trip would also be reimbursedthrough this payment.

Finally, the requestor and other third parties have the opportunity toassign a rating to the driver at 172. This may also include assigningthe driver to a “favorite” or “preferred” driver's list, if the driveris not already on such a list. Alternatively, the driver may be removedfrom the list for poor performance. The practiced method ends at 174.

As indicated above, this is a mere example of how someone may practicean embodiment of the present invention. Steps may be skipped or added inactual practice of the present invention. Necessary steps may have beenomitted to simplify the disclosure of the method of practicing thepresent invention, but those steps would be included in the actualpractice of the invention.

IV. Driver Certification Process

FIGS. 4A and 4B demonstrate a step-by-step method of practicing anelement of the present invention, namely: certifying a driver with thedriver allocation system through the driver allocation service 5. Thecertification process starts at 200 with a driver who has a mobilecomputer device 16 which satisfies the requirements of the driverallocation system as outlined previously at FIG. 1.

Step 202 indicates that a driver may be invited to use the softwareassociated with the driver allocation system by a third party or anotherdriver who already has access to the system. As discussed above, thesoftware allows a driver to interact with the driver allocation service5 and various requestors/dealers. A driver who has access to thesefeatures may send a message to another driver who is not yet certifiedand registered with the driver allocation system. If the invite isreceived at 202, the driver may review the invite at 204 and may alsohave the option of viewing a sample of the system at 206. The sampleview would be the actual results of a trip performed by the third-partydriver or requestor who sent the initial invitation to the driver at202.

Whether or not an invite has been received, the driver must download theassociated application software at 208 in order to become certifiedwithin the driver allocation system 2. This requires access to awireless network with the driver's mobile computer and downloading ofthe application software to the data storage element of the mobilecomputer. The application is then loaded onto the mobile computer deviceat 210, at which point the driver may set up their user profile at 212.This user profile is discussed in more detail elsewhere, but generallyincludes the name and location of the driver, the driver's experience,the driver's preferred job types, and other relevant information aboutthe driver.

The certification process is intended to ensure certainty in the qualityof drivers available for hire by various requestors and other parties.Therefore, the most important features of the certification processrevolve around the driver's driving history. The first step incertifying the driver's history is to enter the driver's license data at214, which may include the license number, the date of expiration, thedate acquired, and the state where the license was obtained. This datais transmitted to the central server via the wireless network and acheck is performed at 216 to determine whether the license data isvalid. If the check comes back as “not valid,” the certification processis immediately failed at 218, and the certification process ends at 220.If the driver's license data is valid, additional checks are performedfor certification.

First, a credit check is performed at 222. Again, a check is performedby the central server computer to determine whether the driver passesthe credit check at 224. If not, certification fails at 242 and theprocess ends at 248.

These checks continue: A check of the driver's motor vehicle/drivingrecord occurs at 226 and pass/fail is determined at 228; a criminalrecord check is taken at 230 and pass/fail is determined at 232;references are loaded into the system by the driver at 234 (such ascharacter references or employment references) and a check of whetherthese have successfully been uploaded and/or approved occurs at 236.This check may occur later and be done manually by a person grading thereferences, or the check may simply be whether or not such referenceswere uploaded.

A video reaction test is accessible via the application software. Thedriver may choose to activate this test at any time, and the test isloaded at 238. The test goes through a video program on the driver'smobile computer via the GUI display, and the driver will react tovarious elements of the video test. The results of the test will beanalyzed by the central server, and a pass/fail check is taken at 240.As with the other checks, if any pass/fail check indicates failure, thecertification process fails at 242 and ends at 248. If each and everycheck is passed, then the driver is notified that they have passedcertification at 244. An expiration notice is provided to the driver at246. This expiration notice tells the driver how long theircertification is good for. The driver will be required to recertify atthe expiration of the certification. The certification process ends at248.

Certification ensures that not just any one can be registered with thedriver allocation service 5. The certification process provides a poolof drivers which requestors, dealers, and other parties can be confidentwill be able to safely and reliably transport the target item, such as avehicle, to a target destination. This process will also be necessary toinsurance underwriters who are providing trip-by-trip driving insuranceto the drivers and/or the requestors.

As indicated above, this is a mere example of how someone may practicean embodiment of the present invention. Steps may be skipped or added inactual practice of the present invention. Necessary steps may have beenomitted to simplify the disclosure of the method of practicing thepresent invention, but those steps would be included in the actualpractice of the invention.

V. Third-Party Transport Company Registration Process

Third party driving companies, such as those discussed above in relationto FIG. 1A, may register with some version of the driver allocationsystem 3. These parties have contact with multiple drivers, who wouldalso have to be individually registered and certified with the driverallocation system 3 through use of mobile computing devices linked tothe driver allocation service over a wireless network.

FIG. 5 demonstrates a step-by-step method of practicing an element ofthe present invention, namely: registering third-party driving companieswith the driver allocation system 3 as depicted in FIG. 1A.

The process starts at 260. A driver, requestor, or other party who hasaccess to these features may send a message to a third-party drivingcompany who is not yet certified and registered with the driverallocation system. If the invite is received at 262, the driver mayreview the invite at 264 and may also have the option of viewing asample of the system at 266. The sample view would be the actual resultsof a trip performed by the third-party driver or requestor who sent theinitial invitation to the company at 262.

Whether or not an invite is received, the third-party company maydownload the appropriate application software at 268. This software maybe downloaded to a mobile computing device similar to those used by thevarious drivers discussed above (e.g. “smart phone” devices). Thesoftware may also be downloaded to a stand-alone personal computer (e.g.laptop or desktop computer). The software application is loaded at 270and a profile is set up for the third party company at 272. Thisincludes all relevant details of the company, including the generalregion where the company operates, how many drivers the company has atits disposal, the company's Federal Employee Identification Number(FEIN), Dunn & Bradstat Number (D&B)], licenses, and other relevantfeatures of the company.

Driver data of the individual drivers hired by the company may be inputat 272. This can include a large dump of data collected by the drivingcompany on behalf of all of its drivers which would be similar to theprocess discussed above and at FIGS. 4A and 4B. Otherwise the individualdrivers may perform these steps individually and then merely sign upwith the driving company at a later date.

The process ends at 276. As indicated above, this is a mere example ofhow someone may practice an embodiment of the present invention. Stepsmay be skipped or added in actual practice of the present invention.Necessary steps may have been omitted to simplify the disclosure of themethod of practicing the present invention, but those steps would beincluded in the actual practice of and embodiment the invention.

VI. Trip-By-Trip or Single-Trip Insurance Process

Another novel feature which goes hand-in-hand with the basic concept ofthe driver allocation system 2 discussed above includes a trip-by-tripspecific insurance feature. This feature allows drivers, third-partycompanies, and requestors to apply for and receive insurance limited toa single trip as set-up through the driver allocation system. Severalfeatures come into play in order to create and obtain this insurance, soa preferred embodiment would include a method where this insurance isprocured from third-party insurance underwriters through the use of thedriver allocation service 5.

The process for obtaining single-trip or trip-by-trip insurance startsat 300. The user's status is input at 302. This includes identifying theuser as a driver, a dealer or otherwise a requestor, a third partycompany, the auction site claiming the target, or some other party.

The number of targets to be transported is entered at 304. If multipletargets can be driven in one vehicle, then only a single source ofinsurance may be necessary. However, if each target comprises a separatevehicle, multiple instances of single-trip insurance will be required.The value of each target is input at 306. The status of each driver tobe used is input at 308 (e.g. the name and other profile data of eachdriver). The driver's data or certification status is input at 310. Theregion, time frame, and other trip information is input at 312. All ofthis data is used by the insurance underwriter to determine the risk ofthe particular trip and therefore formulate a cost for that insurance.

The data is compiled and sent at 314 and analyzed by the underwriters at316. The underwriters would come up with an estimated cost for theinsurance, as well as other data relevant to the insurance for thatparticular trip (e.g. deductible amount). This cost is sent to the userat 318. The user must accept or reject the insurance offer at 320. Ifthe user rejects the offer at 320, the user will have the opportunity tosearch additional underwriters at 321 for additional insurance quotes.If the user elects to send the request to additional insuranceunderwriters, the data is re-compiled and sent at 314, analyzed by thenew underwriter at 316, and a cost again is provided to the user at 318.

If the user elects not to accept the insurance at 320 and not to searchadditional underwriters at 321, the insurance request process ends at328.

If the user does accept the insurance at 320, then the insurance isactivated as the trip is started at 322. The trip is driven by therelevant driver(s) at 324, until the target destination is reached at326, where the insurance deactivates automatically. The process ends at328.

This step-by-step demonstration simply discusses the way the single-tripinsurance is procured. It does not indicate in detail how a claim willbe made in the event of an accident. The insurance claim procedure wouldlargely proceed in the way that typical insurance claims are made,pending the details included in the underwriter's proposal to the user.

As indicated above, this is a mere example of how someone may practicean embodiment of the present invention. Steps may be skipped or added inactual practice of the present invention. Necessary steps may have beenomitted to simplify the disclosure of the method of practicing thepresent invention, but those steps would be included in the actualpractice of and embodiment the invention.

FIG. 6A diagrammatically shows the relationship between drivers 6,requestors 4, the driver allocation service 5, and the insuranceunderwriter(s) 338. Data including target value 330, driver status 332,location/route 334, and the requestor's status 336 are optionally sentto the central server 12, which are then relayed to the insuranceunderwriter 338. The underwriter reviews the data and returns a quote tothe requestor or driver requesting insurance. As above, other partiescould also procure insurance, such as the ultimate purchaser of thetarget 8.

VII. Digital Tag/License Plate Element 28, 428

FIGS. 7 and 7A demonstrate two alternative embodiments of a digitallicense plate which may be used as part of the driver allocation systemsdiscussed herein. FIG. 7 shows a preferred embodiment digital licenseplate 28 which generally includes a frame 64 with mounting holes 66which allow the frame to be mounted to a vehicle via mounting screwslike a typical license plate. A digital screen 68 is located in theframe, which contains information such as the license plate number, theexpiration date (and time) of the digital plate, and the state, county,and other necessary information.

Each license plate requires a power source. A preferred embodiment woulduse a lithium-ion battery 62 connected to a solar array 60 for poweringand recharging the tag license plate. The license plate battery may alsobe recharged by plugging it into a power outlet with a standard adapter(not shown). Other options include plugging the license plate directlyinto the vehicle's power system, either directly or through a removablewire with a universal serial bus (USB) port or other outlet plug.

Each license plate will also include a microcomputer 70 including a CPU,data storage element, and external connectors such as USB. A Wi-Fiand/or Bluetooth antenna 72 is used to communicate data to and from amobile computing device associated with the license plate, such as thedriver's 6 mobile computer 16. This allows data to be transmitted overthe wireless network to the driver's mobile computer 16, and wirelesslyre-transmitted to the digital tag. A digital drive-away plate code 42sent by a requestor 4 will therefore be associated with the digitallicense plate 28 and the display will show the necessary information.

FIG. 7A shows an alternative embodiment digital license plate 428 whichis affixed to the rear window of a car via four suction cups 466. Thedisplay 468 shown here is a light-emitting diode (LED) board with aplurality of large 474 and small 472 LED lights for displaying simpleyet informative displays. The display must at least be able to showalphanumeric license plate codes and the associated city and countyinformation.

This alternative embodiment also shows a toll-paying device 476 whichmay receive additional codes for use with automatic toll stations usedaround the country, such as E-ZPass provided by the E-ZPass InteragencyGroup of Wilmington, Del. As with the digital license plate itself, thecode for these passes would be transmitted to the device via thedriver's mobile computer, and would expire at the end of the trip. Thistoll-paying communications device 476 could alternatively be included inthe driver's mobile computing device 16. Charges could automatically besent to the Requestor's account, or any other party's account, as thetoll fees are paid through the toll-paying device 476.

The digital plate 28, 428 will tie itself to the mobile computing device16 of the driver and will key off of digital plate codes being relayedthrough the mobile computing device. If signal is cut off from themobile computing device, the digital tag may either be cut off as wellor may optionally run based upon the last set of instructions it hadreceived (e.g. when to expire).

The above-mentioned features could be interchanged with variousalternative arrangements, and may include other functional means ofpower, display, communication, etc. These license plates could be usefulin several industries, including for use in test drive scenarios, rentalcar services, or for one-time rental by a single driver. These licenseplates should function interstate, and may optionally belong to anyindividual in the chain, including the individual drivers, the drivingcompanies, or the purchaser of the target.

Requestors who are automobile dealers will be allowed to assign thedigital plate devices to their personnel, who may obtain permission fordrives (including test drives) by allowing their managers to assign alimited license plate/tag code for a specified time frame. At theexpiration of that time frame the digital plate code will expire,regardless of the location of the vehicle or plate.

The display of the license plate may also show what type of drive isbeing performed with the vehicle associated with the plate. For example,the tag may indicate that the vehicle is currently “in transit”delivering a target or the vehicle itself to a designated location. Thetag may also indicate a “test-drive” for use with automobile dealers, ora “one-way delivery.” Other types of trips may also be displayed, suchas if the vehicle is being used as a taxi service or chauffer. Thedisplay can display as much detail about the trip as the requestor ordriver determines is necessary, or to comply with state law.

The display may also feature the time remaining on the duration of thedigital tag, and when the tag code expires the display will either goblank or display “EXPIRED” or a similar message across its face.

VIII. Driver Allocation Service 5 User Interface

FIGS. 8A-8G demonstrate several features of a user interface associatedwith the driver allocation service 5 that would be included in thesoftware associated with a driver's mobile computer device 16, therequestor's computer 38, or any other party's computer when utilizingthe features of the present invention.

FIG. 8A for instance shows a user interface of a driver's “dashboard.”This view would be the first view a driver would see when opening theassociated software application on his or her mobile computing device.Any and all features that the driver would need to interact with thedriver allocation system, including the driver allocation service 5, canbe linked to from this view. For example, the driver may update hisdriver profile by selecting the “Profile” link on the dashboard.

FIG. 8B shows a user interface of a driver's itinerary, includingdetails about upcoming trips and the option to begin a trip or to cancela trip. Additional details about the trip, such as details about thetarget, can be found by selecting the “details” tab.

FIG. 8C shows a user interface of a driver's trip status. The driver mayselect or deselect various options during a trip. At the beginning of atrip, the driver may scan or manually input the VIN. The license platenumber may be entered manually or retrieved from a drive-away licenseplate code sent by a requestor. The miles of the trip may be calculatedusing GNSS positioning or otherwise calculated. The driver may evendesignate his vehicle as the “target car” or the “chase car,” dependingon the driver's actual status. Each trip request is customizable, andmay feature a unique task list.

FIG. 8D shows a user interface of a requestor's trip status. There arevarious options available for setting up a trip request, such as whichdrivers will be asked to perform the trip and the duration for therequest to stay alive before responses are needed.

FIG. 8E shows a user interface of a driver's “dashboard.” As with thedriver, various options are available to the requestor at this point.

FIG. 8F shows a user interface of a driver search by a requestor. Thisshows even more detailed options available to a requestor than thoseshown in FIG. 8D, such as the ability to search directly by a knowndriver's name.

FIG. 8G shows a user interface of a driver's registration. Thisregistration could also be submitted by a third-party driving company onbehalf of its drivers. The driver can input details about what types ofjobs he would be willing to perform, and may upload drivers licenseinformation, a resume, an insurance policy, and other relevantdocuments. Everything uploaded would be stored in the central databaseand be accessible by requestors searching for drivers.

In addition to the above, each trip may be associated with a uniquecode. Third parties, such as the buyer or seller of the target, mayaccess the driver allocation service 5 via their own computer or mobilesmart device. These parties would need to be invited to track the tripprogress by the Requestor, the Driver, or another party who iscontrolling the trip and delivery. These parties would only receiveminimum information about the trip, such as where the driver and/ortarget are located at a given time, and when the target arrives at itsdestination. Multiple targets could also be tracked by individual ormultiple third parties in this way.

Other uses of the present invention which are not described in detailabove but remain possible include a rental delivery service. A driver 6or team of drivers can deliver a rental car or truck to a targetlocation. The vehicle may be packed with supplies or instructions per atrip request set up using the driver allocation system 5. The target orvehicle may be upsold on a commission basis. The driver or other partymay e-sign contracts on a mobile computing device 16, and leave thetarget at the location. The party receiving the target (e.g. the rentingparty) may e-sign using the driver's mobile device 16.

In such a scenario, the requestor 4, likely a vehicle dealer, creates atrip request using the driver allocation service 5. An option isavailable to create a “rental customer.” A reservation and/orconfirmation identification number is generated by the central server 12and sent to the requestor and/or the renting party. The identificationnumber is tied to the customer's name, delivery address, phone number,and other information. An option for providing additional supplies thatthe renting party requests may also exist. This may require data to besent from the renting party to the requestor prior to the transaction,or in response to the requestor's initial generation of the triprequest.

The rental customer may access the driver allocation service 5, or analternative service, using a desktop or mobile computing device. Thetrip status of the vehicle may be monitored by the rental customer, andmay indicate via the service when they have reached the target vehicle,or conversely, when the vehicle reaches them. A check-list may pop-up onthe display of the rental-party's computer. Examples of tasks to bechecked off include recording the fuel level, odometer, and status ofthe vehicle, including damage to the vehicle. These recordings can bemade by taking pictures of gauges or vehicle damage and sending them viathe computer network to the allocation service and/or the requestor.

The rental customer may also be prompted via the allocation service topurchase supplies, insurance, and other optional features, and maydesignate additional authorized drivers to drive the rental vehicle. Thecustomer may e-sign accepting payment of these options using theircomputer and send this information to the requestor. Payment may also besent over the computer network by tying directly into the customer'spayment account. The customer would likely indicate their trip statusvia the same allocation service as they drive the vehicle from astarting location to a target location or temporary stop. All of thisinformation would be sent back to the dealer who may monitor thelocation of their vehicle at any time.

It is to be understood that while certain aspects of the disclosedsubject matter have been shown and described, the disclosed subjectmatter is not limited thereto and encompasses various other embodimentsand aspects.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:
 1. A system for managing drivers ofvehicles, comprising: a server running an internet service for managingdrivers, configured to: receive a request, submitted by a user, to drivea vehicle on a trip from a first location to a second location; receivea response from a driver indicating availability to drive the vehicle;receive an approval, from the user, accepting the driver; transmit, toan insurance provider, information indicative of the driver and detailsfor the trip; receive, from the insurance provider, informationindicative of an insurance policy issued for the trip; receive licensinginformation specific to the trip, wherein the licensing informationspecific to the trip allows temporary licensure for the vehicle duringthe trip from the first location to the second location, wherein thelicensing information specific to the trip expires after the trip fromthe first location to the second location; transmit, to the driver, theinformation indicative of an insurance policy issued for the trip andthe licensing information specific to the trip; present, to the user, avehicle status report; and present, to the user, real-time locationupdates for the vehicle in real time; a digital license plate,configured to display the licensing information specific to the trip,wherein the digital license plate is associated with the driver, whereinthe digital license plate further comprises a toll-paying device,wherein the licensing information specific to the trip further includesan expiration time and date, and wherein the digital license plateceases to display the licensing information specific to the trip afterthe expiration time and date; and a mobile device running a mobiledevice application configured to: display, to the driver, the request todrive the vehicle; receive, from the driver the response indicatingavailability to drive the vehicle; load the licensing informationspecific to the trip onto the digital license plate; receive, from thedriver, the vehicle status report; and transmit the real-time locationupdates for the vehicle to the internet service.
 2. The system of claim1, wherein the vehicle status report includes a photograph of thevehicle captured by a mobile device running the mobile deviceapplication.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein: the internet servicefurther transmits a pickup details report to the driver; and the mobiledevice application further displays the pickup details report.
 4. Thesystem of claim 3, wherein the pickup details report includes a VIN forthe vehicle, a time frame for driving the vehicle, and contactinformation for a requestor of the driving of the vehicle.
 5. The systemof claim 1, wherein: the mobile device application further receives,form the driver expenses incurred in driving the vehicle; and theinternet service further presents, to the user the expenses incurred indriving the vehicle for review and approval.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the digital license plate includes suction cups for attachmentto a window of the vehicle.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein thedigital license plate further ceases to display the licensinginformation specific to the trip after the vehicle arrives at the secondlocation.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is furtherconfigured to make transmit, to a government agency, location updatesfor the vehicle in real time.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein theserver is further configured to automatically transfer a payment fromthe user to the driver upon approval by the user.